Fun In The Cretaceous
by Allyse
Summary: Abby's bored and Connor keeps her entertained with children's games.


**Fun in the Cretaceous**

Connor put the notebook to one side, fed up of counting the little pencil marks in the back: each one denoting an approximate day spent in the past. He lay on his back for a long while and watched the fading light through the overlapping branches and leaves above him. It had been a long day, but that day was now rapidly dissolving into night.

The quiet of the forest was making him uneasy. He closed his eyes and listened carefully but all he could hear was the campfire crackling in the still air. Then something shuffled close to him.

"Connor?"

"Hmm?" Lazily, he raised his head and opened his eyes to look at his companion.

He found Abby sat beside him, cross-legged, and looking down at him expectantly. "I'm bored," she stated.

"Really?" Connor frowned as his friend nodded solemnly and he pulled himself into a sitting position. "We're stuck approximately seventy five million years in the past, surrounded by creatures that could potentially burst in here right now and eat us…" He raised an eyebrow. "…and you're _bored_."

"Yes," Abby confirmed. "I need entertainment. Tell me a joke or something."

"Err… a joke?" Connor's frown increased. He hated being put on the spot. "Um… I don't know…. How about: why did the dinosaur cross the road?" He said the first one that came into his head.

Abby grinned and played along. "I don't know. Why _did_ the dinosaur cross the road?"

"Because chickens hadn't evolved yet," he deadpanned, surprised when Abby actually giggled. He looked at her with a puzzled expression. "Seriously, Abby, you must be bored if you find that funny."

"It must be the way you tell it," she said, nudging him in the side with her elbow until he gave her a goofy smile. "Let's play a game."

Connor groaned and his smile faded. "Please don't say charades!"

"No," Abby replied, grinning, "You trying to act out Star Wars might wake the neighbours."

"Hide and seek?" he suggested instead. "We're quite well practiced at that now." He scratched the whiskers on his chin that Abby would never quite let become an actual beard, although he personally thought it would look quite cool, and pretended to think seriously. "Pin the tail on the dinosaur?" Abby's nudge became a punch with that suggestion. "Maybe not then."

"How about '_I went to the shops'_?"

"There aren't many in this part of town."

A look of exasperation – or maybe it was desperation – crossed her face. "Come on, Connor. It'll be fun." She patted his arm in an almost patronising fashion but her apparent enthusiasm for this game persuaded him to play along… sort of.

"I went to the shops and…" Abby prompted.

"…and I bought an Abby mute button."

"Really _not_ funny."

"Do I look like I'm joking?" He tried to keep a stony-faced expression but failed miserably, which only gained him another jab in his side from Abby. He was going to get bruises.

"Ok, ok, ok!" He gave in. "I went to the shops and I bought… an anomaly to take us home."

"_Connor_…" Abby's tone was a warning that he was treading on thin ice.

"That's a legitimate purchase. It's _your_ turn! You playing this game or not?"

"Fine," she muttered. "I went to the shops and I bought an anomaly and a booby trap to catch all our nosy raptor neighbours."

"Good one."

"Why, thank you!"

"I went to the shops and I bought an anomaly, a booby trap and a…" Connor thought for a moment, and with a grin, continued, "… a Cretaceous period souvenir t-shirt."

That made Abby burst out in laughter.

"Shhh!"

"Sorry!" She covered her mouth with her hands to stifle a giggle. Composing herself, she recited their shopping list so far before adding a dinosaur. A friendly one, she specified, to keep as a pet. Connor added an egg to the wish list next, because he rather fancied an omelette. Abby decided a fishing net would be useful.

"Ok, so, I went to the shops and I bought an anomaly, a booby trap, a Cretaceous period souvenir t-shirt, a dinosaur, an egg, a fishing net and a…" Connor remembered the list so far but struggled to think of something that began with G.

Leaning back on his forearms, he looked up at the ceiling of their hideaway. It was almost dark now and he could just make out the sprinkling of stars overhead through the gaps in the branches. He hoped it wouldn't rain. That was never fun. The vegetation kept off the worst but if it was really heavy they stood little chance of staying dry.

He sat up. "Got it!" he told Abby triumphantly. "A gazebo."

"A gazebo?" she echoed with bemusement.

"Yeah, like one of those little tent things they put up for garden parties."

"I know what a gazebo is, Connor." Abby raised a delicate eyebrow. "When have you ever been to a garden party?"

"Well, a barbeque then," he compromised on his description. "It would keep us dry when it rains but we could probably still have a fire if we were careful and we could camouflage it to stop the raptors getting too curious."

Abby shrugged. "Ok, a gazebo it is then," she agreed before reciting their growing list and adding a helicopter.

"And you made me justify a gazebo?" he complained with exasperation.

"Well, at least with a helicopter we could see a bit more of this place," explained Abby. "Other than the few miles around the closed anomaly site that we've already seen a hundred times. Maybe _then_ I wouldn't be so bored."

"Have you ever had helicopter flying lessons?" Connor questioned the practicality of their latest hypothetical purchase. "And where do you plan to refuel it? More to the point, where do you plan to _land_ it amongst all these trees?"

"Shut up, you moron." Abby hit his arm hard. Yes, he was definitely bruised now. "It's only a game!"

"Now she tells me!" He rolled his eyes and looked to the sky again for divine intervention, or maybe just inspiration. "Fine," he said, pointing a stern finger at Abby. "If you're allowed a helicopter, I want a…" he thought for a moment before picking the most obscure thing he could think of: "An interferometer!"

"A what? Actually, I'm not going ask. It's a deal!"

"Your turn," Connor prompted as Abby stifled a yawn and rested her chin in her hands. "Are you giving up?" he asked as she let her eyes close sleepily.

"I'm just a bit tired," she confessed, yawning again, eyes still closed.

"This was your idea," he shifted closer to her and reached out to grab her wrists with his hands. As he gently peeled her hands away from her tired face, her eyes opened in surprise. He didn't relinquish his hold and she blushed to suddenly find him so close. He had his legs crossed now and his knees touched hers, mirroring her pose. She hoped he wouldn't notice the pink of her cheeks in the dim firelight.

"Fine," she muttered, looking down at the diamond of dusty earth he'd created between them. She felt stupid for being embarrassed in front of someone who knew so many of her secrets. "I went to the shops…" she said, reciting that opening line for the tenth time, "…and I bought a jacket." She knew it was unimaginative but her mind was otherwise occupied. "This one's getting a bit faded," she tried to justify herself but it sounded rather unconvincing.

"Very practical," Connor commented, watching her closely.

She met his gaze and smiled gently. "Someone has to be."

"My next one definitely isn't practical," he warned her.

"I wouldn't expect anything less."

"But it is fun!" he insisted. "And you wanted fun… right?"

Now he had her full attention. "Right," she confirmed.

"So, I went to the shops and I bought…" He grinned and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. "…a kiss." He chuckled at the confused expression that crossed her face. "From you," he specified, "Since you're the loveliest girl in the Cretaceous."

"I'm the _only_ girl in the Cretaceous!" Abby protested, trying not to smile at the compliment.

Connor frowned and pretended to think about it seriously. "That's true," he admitted. "It is pretty slim pickings around here. I guess you'll just have to do."

"What if we were back home?" She had to ask, she had to make sure this wasn't just the talk of a man deprived of any other human companionship.

His mouth twitched with humour. "I think you'd still be pretty high up the list."

She smiled, satisfied with his answer. "Good."

He still held her wrists softly, so she twisted her hands around until she could link her fingers with his. Slowly, she leaned towards him.

Connor leaned back quickly, increasing the distance between them, though he didn't let go of her fingers. "What are you doing?" he asked, slightly panicked.

She giggled at his absurdness. "Giving you that kiss you asked for."

"Oh."

He allowed her to close the gap between them.

"Thanks," he said when she pulled away.

Abby smiled at him, feeling just a little bit shy. "You don't need to buy kisses, you know, hypothetically or not. Or thank me for them. They're readily available here, if you want them."

"Really?"

She nodded, serious. "Really."

He stole another kiss before she could change her mind. "And at home?" he asked.

"Home, too. If we ever get back, that is."

Connor nodded his head thoughtfully, feeling just a little bit pleased with himself.

"Don't look smug, it doesn't suit you!" Abby scolded before yawning for a third time. "I think we better give up on this game, I'm getting too sleepy."

He nodded and started to stand, pulling her to her feet. "Shall I take the first watch?" he asked as he steadied his tired friend.

"You sure?"

"Yeah."

"Thanks," she smiled up at him, hesitated, and then kissed him once more.

He let her go, watching as she rummaged around to find her blanket. She picked up her notebook from where he'd left it and dusted off the cover. He thought of the little lines in the back cover, of the time they'd spent here so far, and something clicked into place: the date.

"By the way, Abby?"

She turned to face him, still holding the notebook. "Yeah."

"Happy birthday," he wished her with a smile. "I hope it was a memorable one."

Her face glowed in the firelight and she smiled back at him warmly, surprised that he'd worked it out.

"Thank you," she replied. "It really was."


End file.
